MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky has held a phone call with General Christopher Cavoli, commander of United States European Command, briefing him on the situation on the front line.

"I have held a telephone call with General Christopher Cavoli, commander of United States European Command. The current situation on the front was the key topic of our conversation. <...> Heavy fighting is underway along the entire front line," Syrsky wrote on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which is designated as extremist).

The Ukrainian army chief asked Cavoli to increase defense assistance for the Ukrainian army, citing Russia's equipment and troop superiority.

Vladimir Zelensky said on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops needed to retreat in situations where they were outnumbered one to eight. On October 29, Ukrainian Supreme Court President Stanislav Kravchenko pointed to the significant increase in defectors and described the situation as alarming. Ukrainian parliament member Maryana Bezuglaya, in turn, noted that the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces had handed down instructions to transfer 20% of medical officers to infantry units. Syrsky later ordered that all aviation technicians be transferred to the infantry.

On October 7, the Ukrainian General Staff described the situation on the line of engagement as tense, and on October 24, it said the situation was complicated.